Uhuru Kenyatta

President Uhuru Kenyatta addressing a crowd in Kayole, Nairobi, on February 19, 2021.

| Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group

Goodies, blackmail as MCAs debate Bill

What you need to know:

  • A number of  MCAs in counties that are yet to endorse the proposals want Sh300,000 to help them conduct public participation before voting
  • In Kakamega County, the ward reps have asked for “facilitation” to push the Bill.

Blackmail has come to define the last-ditch efforts by the proponents of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Bill to push it through as other players cash in on the same effort that has seen President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM party leader Raila Odinga lately aggressively hit the campaign trail.

Like is the case with Jubilee, the ruling party, the unspoken warning in ODM is such that the leadership is keeping a record of how each member votes in the county assembly and will refer to it before one gets the party ticket in the next General Election. Under such circumstances, you defy the party at your own peril, unless you have identified a suitable alternative.

President Kenyatta yesterday toured Nairobi’s Eastlands estates of Kayole and Dandora, where he launched projects linked to the Big Four programme and campaigned for the passing of the BBI Bill. Last Friday, the President toured Uthiru, Dagoretti and Kiamaiko launching similar health and water projects. Observers say the President’s efforts, which started a long time in the BBI process but have lately escalated, are meant to soften the ground for a positive result.

Mr Odinga, on his part, has held meetings with various leaders in the counties to sell the BBI message. His Nyanza backyard has some of the first counties to pass the Bill.

Better opportunity

And for the members of county assemblies (MCAs), there is no better opportunity to arm-twist the government into acceding to their demand for car grants promised to them in Mr Kenyatta’s first term in office.

“Conversion of the car loan facility to a car grant will be undertaken within the available car loan facility funds of Ksh4.5 billion and will not affect the expenditure ceiling,”  Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Chairperson Lyn Mengich said as she finally gave in to their demand at the beginning of the month.

It is understood that this took the intervention of President Kenyatta who feared the lawmakers may punish him for not fulfilling the promise.

The MCAs have not stopped at that. A number of those in counties that are yet to endorse the proposals want Sh300,000 to help them conduct public participation before voting.

In Kakamega County, the ward reps have asked for “facilitation” to push the Bill.

“This is an important process that needs facilitation,” said Manda-Shivanga MCA Jacob Lubisia.

Isukha South Ward representative Farouk Machanje said they still hope to get cash before passing the Bill.

Ward funds

“We are fully aware that through allocation of ward funds, we will develop our wards. But we are wondering why they are reluctant to meet our demands,” he told the Saturday Nation.

Mr Machanje tightened the grip on Governor Wycliffe Oparanya seeking investigations to establish how some Sh40 million allocated for Loans and Mortgage at the County Assembly in 2017 was spent.

Governor Oparanya is expected to meet the MCAs on Monday to rally them to pass the Bill when it comes up for debate, with the lawmakers upbeat that the county chief “will at least give them some allowance” to ensure they do not “embarrass him” by shooting down the Bill.

"There was no succession politics and conclusion on BBI', Nyeri MCA's speaks on meeting with Uhuru

The MCAs know too well that by virtue of being Mr Odinga’s deputy in ODM, Mr Oparanya will do all that is within his powers to have them endorse it.

The Saturday Nation is aware that governors have been forced to part with cash in some counties where the Bill has sailed through in the name of “motivation fees”.

In Machakos, Governor Alfred Mutua threw a spanner in the works when he paraded 34 MCAs from the county who said the BBI risked being blocked at the assembly if Wiper and its leader Kalonzo Musyoka did not stop disrespecting the Maendeleo Chap Chap leader, who has also announced his bid as a presidential contender in 2022. He accused Mr Musyoka of side-lining Ukambani governors in the BBI campaigns.

The MCAs turned down an invite by Mr Musyoka and threatened to shoot down the Bill, which is set to be tabled on Tuesday unless the organisers of the campaigns consult and involve Dr Mutua.

“We shall shoot down the Bill if those pushing for it continue sidelining Dr Mutua,” said Mua MCA Francis Ngunga.

But the parties are also being accused of employing arm-twisting and intimidation, with the ruling Jubilee Party at the forefront of whipping its members opposed to the Bill into line.

Yesterday, Secretary General Raphael Tuju in a meeting with nominated MCAs of Uasin Gishu Assembly at party headquarters in Pangani, Nairobi, told them that they risked punishment if they vote against the BBI.

A brief letter dated February 19 sent to the assembly and seen by the Saturday Nation, indicated that Ward Reps were being invited to attend the meeting, whose agenda emerged to be adoption of the BBI.

Last week, the party threatened to punish MCAs who vote against the BBI as it rolled out a carrot-and-stick strategy to woo the Ward Reps. But Baringo MCAs defied it and went on to shoot down the proposals.

Yesterday’s meeting attended by all the 17 nominated MCAs, Mr Tuju directed them to vote in favour of the BBI or risk losing their slots.

Party position

“Tuju told us that we must follow the party position on BBI, failure to do so, we will face disciplinary action,” said Edwin Misoi, one of the nominated MCAs.

The BBI Bill was tabled at the assembly a week ago and it has been going through public participation before the MCAs debate and vote on it.

Last week’s meeting between Mr Tuju and Baringo ward reps raised jitters among them after they were allegedly sanctioned to vote for the document or risk losing their seats. The threat didn’t deter them from blocking it.

The county assemblies of West Pokot and Trans Nzoia became the first ones in adopting the draft constitutional amendment Bill in the North Rift, Dr Ruto’s backyard.

But Mr Tuju’s deputy, Caleb Kositany, accused him of lying to the ward reps that the party had an official position on the BBI, arguing that such a decision has never been reached.

“I wish to reiterate, as I have on previous occasions, that there has never been any meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) as required by Article 7 of the party constitution to deliberate and agree on anything, let alone the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2020 (BBI),” reads his letter dated February 11.

At the same time, the General Election maybe 18 months away but it is already a bonanza for groups offering various services to politicians who are jostling for positions.

The referendum to change the Constitution expected latest in June and the attendant campaigns have thrust leading players in a campaign mode as they try to outdo one another, offering more ‘jobs’ to the service providers.

For those being used to drive the message home, either by winning over support or through sheer display of might, it is an early Christmas with some making an average of Sh10,000 every weekend.

While BBI is the immediate concern, a number of politicians have no problem investing their money hoping to ride on its wave to win elective seats next year.

The MCAs are not the only ones reaping big. A number of groups also making a killing in the push to amend the laws include hecklers for hire, boda boda groups, elders for hire, crowd mobilisers, those registering and selling political parties, the chopper hiring business, bloggers and online influencers. There are also consultants who are being retained by the aspirants to help come up with winning formulae.

A number of community councils of elders are roaring back to life coronating one politician after another.

Recently, Kanu chairman Gideon Moi was crowned Kalenjin leader by Talai elders months after a splinter group of the same council bestowed the same title on the Deputy President William Ruto.

Crowd mobilisers

Crowd mobilisers are sometimes opinion shapers and those with the gift of gab contracted by politicians to win them support.

Beatrice Waithera , a crowd mobiliser in Nairobi, she says it has been brisk business lately.

“A friend I previously worked with in executing a similar project of asking people to show up asked that I accompany her to some famous politician in town.”Attendees are usually paid to attend a town hall meeting. It is in the discretion of the mobiliser. For it is them who know how they mobilise the crowds.”

Those in crowd control and security are also thriving.

“Unless there is facilitation or compensation for their time, they will not attend,” a student leader in one of the campuses in the city said. “That is the reason why leaders feel they need a fixer like myself.”

According to the student leader, other than money, they do it expecting endorsements for leadership positions.

Also frequenting these events are boda boda operators. As the season begins to pick up, they are envisioning hefty incomes.

For a sector, that has employed over 1.7 million Kenyans, and with the advantage of being well versed with terrains of the regions where they operate, they are highly likely to be used. They charge between Sh500 and Sh1,000 or sometimes higher for every two hours. On peak seasons, the riders can attend as many as four rallies in a week.

Sometimes riders are used for bad courses but politicians who contact them through their argents contract them primarily to ferry their supporters to the venues of the rallies.

“The riders, like any other businessmen, have targets and expectations, and that is what motivates them to pick up such ventures that end up denting the image of the profession” Mr Thomas Lesaatin, the Chairman of Umbrella of capital city Bodaboda Association said. “And sometimes, we are just victims of circumstances.”

Additional reporting by Daniel Ogetta, Pius Maundu and  Benson Amadala